Toward the Future
by allirequest
Summary: Focuses on the lives of the visored and rogue Shinigami after they flee Soul Society for the real world. Connected ficlets, focusing on all characters; pairings may come later. Rated T to be safe.
1. Relocation

**The Pull Toward the Future is Undeniable**

**Chapter One: Relocation**

**Author:** Cayt.

**Characters: Shinji, various.**

**Note:** Yes, I know this one is not exclusively on Shinji; but there are going to be quite a few segments following the Vaizard and rogue shinigami during their lives on Earth. I'm going to try to write for each of the characters, so I put this under Shinji's section on FFN, just for convenience' sake. As always, please feel free to review—let me know what you think, what you might like to see, stuff like that. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own anything you recognize; characters, places, etc. I'm just borrowing someone else's ideas to play around with for a while…

~*~

Even after escaping from Soul Society relatively unscathed, things go anything but smoothly for the rogue shinigami. Not only do they have to hide themselves from any pursuers, they have to leave everything they ever knew and believed in behind; nothing is the same anymore, and it never will be again.

It takes a while to find a place to settle down, and even longer for everyone to get used to the changes around them. The hastily provided gigai that Aizen's victims don are fine-tuned, blocking any stray flares of reiatsu that emerge with alarming frequency these days; the last thing they need is for these flares of reiatsu to give their new position away, so that they can be captured or perhaps just executed on the spot. None of them are willing to let this happen in the first place, so it doesn't take long before changes start emerging within the group, both physically and emotionally.

~*~

Urahara Kisuke isn't surprised when Yoruichi disappears soon after they have all settled. They choose an abandoned estate somewhere in the country, because it is away from anyone that might interfere, and because it has more than enough room for everyone to have space to themselves. Kisuke knew that Yoruichi wasn't going to be able to stay in one place for long, however—she has always enjoyed travelling and keeping on the move. Beyond that, though, the need for one of them to keep on the move isn't far from his mind. He's glad his old friend came; she is relatively more… normal, better suited for searching out information, for contacts… for possible backup, in case this goes even further into 'wrong' than it already has.

The first few days settling in are hectic, of course; it's a rushed confusion of setting up barriers, reinforcing them, and keeping their comrades separated from one another for the time being, so there's no chance for them to attack one another. While the gigai Kisuke constructed for each of them mask their reiatsu are doing their jobs, they are far from perfect. A surge of strong emotion is enough to loosen their control over their own power—enough to potentially release the Hollow now residing within their souls.

Kisuke and Tessai are both left to help their comrades as much as possible, though in some cases it's more difficult than others. Hiyori in particular is even more volatile than before, her temper exploding at even the slightest mention of Urahara—or Aizen. Despite this, however, she doesn't even ask about the others for the most part, something that worries Urahara. Hirako is withdrawn and pensive, but Muguruma is active at all times, as if he thinks that going to sleep will be enough to allow the Hollow within to claim complete control. Then again, it might well be…

Something needs to be done, and quick. Urahara has no clue _what_ to do, only that he has to fix this. The face of his lieutenant is never far from his mind; she had never come to accept him, as he'd hoped, but they had (finally) made progress. The fact that he had sent her out there, however, makes this purely his fault.

~*~

"It's your turn for dishes, Hiyori!" Shinji calls, the only sign that alerts Kisuke to the undercurrent of tension building. After everyone had settled, Tessai had established a chore chart, a small attempt at making things seem more normal… predictably, it had taken some getting used to, but everything had evened out somewhat, despite the fact that Shinji takes every chance to avoid his chores that he can. Its not unlike being in charge of a child again, Urahara notes, watching from underneath his bangs as Hiyori predictably whirls.

"No, it's your turn, dumbass," she snaps, and Hirako only deigns to stick his tongue out and contort his face in response. Love reaches over to hit him, seeming to be used to this, but stops halfway there, as if thinking twice. Despite this, however, Kisuke can't help but feel a tiny bit of hope; maybe things haven't been broken completely beyond repair after all.

"No, just look at the chore chart!" Shinji insists, though he is subtly preparing himself to dart out of the room as soon as Hiyori looks at the chore chart. Instead of falling for it, however, she rips off a shoe and lunges for the ex-captain.

Hirako gives an undignified yelp before scrambling out of his chair, trying to avoid the girl. Rose sighs and shifts slightly to the side to avoid being caught up in the ruckus, even as Love twitches, debating with himself whether or not to intervene. Kisuke, for his part, watches and smiles inwardly.

Yes, there is definitely hope left.

~*~

Please, let me know what you think. More coming soon! I have a few chapters written, but since finals and graduation are coming up, they might have to wait until after May 9th. We'll see how smoothly things go.


	2. Not Ready

**Chapter Two: Not Ready**

**Author:** Cayt

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still not mine. **snaps fingers**

~*~

It's only the next morning, however, that finds the entire household in an uproar. While sparring, Hiyori loses her temper, no surprise in and of itself. Unfortunately, that small slip is enough to force Risa to respond by pushing herself further than her current restrictions allow—far enough to allow the Hollow residing within herself to seize control.

Hiyori, unfortunately being the closest and having less time to react, is knocked out almost immediately, thrown against a wall then punched again for good measure. She slumps to the floor, limp as a discarded toy, even as 'Risa' whirls with a haunting roar. The others in the room spring to their feet, instantly alert and undeniably afraid. Risa's lost control… and if they try to help, what is to guarantee that they won't simply add to the problem?

The Hollow possessing their friend cries out again, one long leg lifting to kick out at Hiyori's prone form, knowing full well that this will provoke a response. Indeed, Shinji and Rose are there in a heartbeat, zanpakutō drawn to block the kick. By unspoken agreement, Love darts in and grabs Hiyori, moving her to a safe point so he can check on her. A glance up at Risa reveals that there is no trace of their comrade in the wild, glowing eyes, and Shinji says tersely, "Kensei, fetch Urahara-san, please."

Behind him, he can hear Muguruma snarling at the request, though they all know that of the group here, he is the most likely to lose his temper next, and therefore the most likely to succumb to his own demon if he fights. It doesn't matter that he's angry with Shinji right now, though, because they need to subdue Risa…

Subdue, and hope that there's a way for her to come back to herself. In the weeks since they settled here, none of them have tested the seals binding their Hollows, their reiatsu bound closely as well. They can still spar and keep in shape, but for now, they are not allowed to access much of their reiatsu, courtesy of Kisuke's gigai. This chafes more than a few of them, of course, and yet it's all too necessary.

Unfortunately, however, this means that this is going to be more dangerous than the first time. Risa, as a Hollow, is going to be decidedly stronger than usual, which means that they are in deep shit, and Shinji knows it.

As Kensei disappears to retrieve Kisuke and Tessai, the others prepare themselves for what promises to be a brutal fight, most likely to the (their) death. 'Risa,' or rather the Hollow controlling and transforming her body, howls once more before charging, thoroughly enraged at the sight of shinigami approaching, and Hirako can't help but notice that that bit of insight comes from a darker part of his mind that is sitting up and taking notice—waiting for the slightest lapse of control.

"Don't let it get you worked up," he snaps to the others behind him; he doesn't like this tone of his voice, strained and snappy in a way that he purposely avoids using. The dark voice within him makes it hard to remain casual, however, especially when he has no idea how to fix this, how to protect the others, how to keep everyone from losing it again, how to make sure that Urahara doesn't have to put them down after all the trouble he's gone through to help them.

Glancing to the side, Shinji sees Mashiro watching curiously, her lips pursed in a calculating pout. Despite her unassuming expression, however, he can see her posture alert and aware, her hand trailing almost delicately toward her own zanpakutō. She's always been kinda weird, Shinji thinks, and this whole Hollowfication thing has only made her even weirder; he has no idea how Kensei could have ever gotten along with her.

He frowns when his eyes fall on Hiyori, only to dive to the side as 'Risa' lunges in, hellbent on killing him. Shinji blocks almost carelessly, deflecting most of the force to the side with a careful slant of his blade.

They scatter; fighting Hollows is second-nature to all of them by now, and they are more than capable of taking care of this without having to kill Risa in the process. It's just a matter of making sure that they themselves are not killed, with this new handicap. Risa's speed has drastically increased, making her incredibly hard to avoid as she lunges at them, trying to stun them… take them down long enough for her to kill them.

"_She's just playyyyying with you, _taichou," a dark voice sneers from the corner of his mind, and he ruthlessly shoves it down. Across the room, Rose cries out in surprise as Risa nearly skewers him with her longer fingernails; a blur of sudden motion, and Shinji blinks in surprise. Mashiro bounces past Risa's face, attracting her attention easily. Hirako watches, startled. Mashiro is fast enough to keep Risa distracted, even as he freezes—there is a darker undertone to the power she is currently using to keep ahead of Risa, a stark contrast to the delighted laughter coming from the slip of a girl.

This is very, very not good… which makes it a really good thing that Hachi arrives before the others, already weaving a binding kidō. Risa screams in haunting fury as she is pinned to the floor, even as Kensei finally returns with Kisuke and Tessai in tow.

"My, my," Kisuke says after a moment of silence, obviously taken aback by the sight before him. Everyone bears scratches and bruises, panting from even that brief fight, because having their reiatsu this severely barricaded within them tends to remove most of their energy. "This doesn't seem to be working, does it?"

"Hell no," Kensei said, disgusted. "We can't even spar without this happening! When the hell are you planning on fixing this, Urahara?"

"We are still working on it, Muguruma-san," Tessai interjects calmly, stepping between the furious shinigami and Kisuke, who is studying Risa intently. "You know there is no easy fix to this."

"Yeah," he growls, turning on his heel and stalking away. To the side, Hiyori is beginning to come around, and Mashiro immediately bounds to his side; Shinji notes that her reiatsu is normal again, which is one less thing to worry about, or maybe not.

"We can redo the binds," Tessai reports after a moment, noticing the weight of worried eyes on his back as he examines Risa's limp form. "But something has to be done… this is not going to last forever."

They know; they all know this. As the time has been passing by, everyone is more than aware that the clock is ticking ever louder, risking everything… It's not really something they can forget.

Urahara finally snaps out of his daze, looking up with a faintly strained smile.

"Come on," he says to the others, motioning to the door. "Let's let Tessai-san help Yadomaru-san, and show Hachi-san how to do it as well."

Shinji nods and strides ahead of the others, suddenly needing to get away. The scene that has just played out is all too eerie, all too close to home. Time is running out; next time, there might not be a fix…

And the Hollow in the deep, dark corners of his mind laughs giddily.

~*~

Please, review and let me know what you think :) And again, don't expect many updates until sometime in Mid-May, after I get graduation, papers, interviews, and moving all done... ugh. So much stress, not enough time. Please, make one thing at least a little less stressful, and let me know if you like this!


	3. Shopping I

**Chapter Three: Shopping (Part I)**

**Notes:** Okay, I admit it; right now, I have no idea where the Visored may have fled to… so let's assume they are temporarily in America around the late 1910s, early 1920 (since Kubo-san never gives an exact timeline beyond just "110 years ago" and such)—Hence the 'flapper' references. Liberal allowances are also made for shop layouts—IE, where/what clothes would be there, etc.—because since I have no clue where they are, I don't know what sort of store they go to.

But yes, there have to have been book shops of… questionable nature back then, too, so there. Thank God this is just a fic for fun, and not an actual book, otherwise I'd have to do actual… research again… **shudders**

Also, I graduated, yay! I now have my BA in English/Philosophy and an internship for the summer, so you know what that means… more time to write! (Hopefully!) Which means you should be seeing more frequent updates for me now :) Enjoy—and let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still not mine. Damn.

~*~

The day that they all venture out for new clothes is by far the most… interesting day Rose has seen in over a decade. One of the first things that they have to do—according to Yoruichi, Hiyori, and Risa, anyway—is to make sure that they have the proper clothes to fit in. While the base of operations—also known as "quaint little country hideaway" according to Urahara—is far enough away from the city to be private, it is still close enough that they might be seen.

They also remain close enough to keep up with the human news, not that it really helps them avoid trackers from Soul Society. On the other hand, it does help them to catch up on common speech and modern dress, which is helpful to know, especially when they have to blend in with other people. Its also enough to convince the girls that they need to go shopping, and urgently; after all, Kisuke's taste in fashion isn't exactly the most up-to-date, regardless of his hasty preparations. The trip is also a morale booster of types, though this small factor remains unspoken as they try to keep up the pretense that everything is okay.

~*~

"Oo-oh, look, look at this!" Mashiro coos, holding up a long, bright orange feather boa. Rose recognizes it as something that the so-called 'flappers' might like, though it strikes Kuna simply because it is outlandishly bright. She shoves it in Kensei's face, causing him to back up in a hurry, flinching visibly at the vibrant, violent color, even as the girl hugs it to her chest. "Can I get it, Keeeeensei?"

Muguruma scowls and storms away, leaving Rose to himself as Mashiro attaches herself to the former captain's arm, pouting childishly. Rose sighs, carding absently through a clothing display. It had been decided that today was the dreaded/highly anticipated (depending on who you ask) shopping trip, and almost everyone had jumped on the opportunity. Kisuke, Love, Tessai , and Hachi had all decided to remain at home, though the girls had embraced the chance to get out, and dragged a few unlucky men with them. Rose just wanted to get out of the house, and he is pretty sure that Shinji came along for those very same reasons. He has no clue how Kensei got dragged along, and is certain that he does not want to know.

Selecting a few shirts, all with his trademark ruffled collars, he passes them to Shinji to hold on to. He needs some actual _air_, not this store… as it is, their group is attracting curious attention. Not, of course, that it stops Hirako from baiting Hiyori. He slips outside before the tiny girl can predictably lunge for the other blond, wondering why it was that Love had remained behind; if nothing else, he makes a good babysitter.

It's odd, being surrounded by this many humans. Most barely even notice him, which is at once both reassuring and faintly disconcerting. He's used to being surrounded by people, being _noticed_, because captains rarely get to be anti-social, and he hasn't been just another person in the crowd for quite some time now. The loss of commanding attention with just a look is still sharp, though he knows it's better to blend in.

Rose strolls down the street, getting used to the feelings of the weak, suppressed reiatsu signatures of the people around him. Urahara's gigai are actually quite admirable. They suppress their reiatsu almost completely, which is a good thing; without that safety measure, it allows them to be around mortals without harming them unintentionally. If left unchecked, a captain-level shinigami's reiatsu is more than capable of overwhelming a human, despite a human's limited ability to sense spiritual pressure.

A couple of streets over, he finds a small bookstore, tucked away in a corner, and enters. With nothing but time on his hands, he's read all the books Yoruichi acquired one way or another. Human literature is somewhat predictable, but he supposes he's in no position to complain.

Browsing the shelves, Rose selects a few that sound intriguing. They sound _much_ more interesting than the ones Yoruichi picked up, and he wonders why this store is hidden aware; there are not many customers, but that is okay, too.

He loses himself in browsing the shelves, so much so that the sudden hand on his shoulder jerks him from his daze, and he turns to find Yadōmaru hovering over his shoulder.

"Oi, Rose, why didn't you _tell_ me you were coming to a bookstore?" She demands, though her sharp eyes are already passing critically over the shelves, intent as if searching for prey. Before he can respond, she has slipped past him, deftly plucking several books from the shelves, her cheeks flushing slightly with excitement.

"You even found a _good_ bookstore. I didn't know that _you_ liked these kinda books…" she murmurs, smirking as she flips through pages of a book Rose had passed over as too smarmy. For all that he enjoys his erotic books, he would have preferred that the others didn't find that out just yet... it's no secret that Risa and Kyoraku had been interested in that sort of thing, and yet he wants that little thing to remain out of public knowledge until things have settled and he feels a little more familiar with some of the others. A glance to his side reveals that Risa is absorbed, however—so much so that she almost doesn't notice her next words until Rose freezes.

"I'll have to tell Kyoraku-taichou about this shop," she murmurs distractedly, then freezes as a tense silence abruptly falls over the store. The dull sound of background chatter fades away as Risa blanches, looking almost as if she's been slapped. Rose has no idea what to say, and after a moment, Risa says uncomfortably, "Or not, I suppose."

"Maybe someday you will," Rose replies softly after a moment, moving to dispel the awkwardness by reaching past the stricken girl for some books of his own. "Now, which of these books do you think will make Hachi blush the most?"

Risa smirks once more, reaching deviously for a book, though he pretends not to notice the brief flicker of a grateful smile she casts him. As if to pretend that nothing had ever happened, she whispers conspiratorially, "Well, remember, we can't let Hirako see these; he already acts crazy enough…"

As they pick out a decently-sized stash of books, Rose can't help but be relieved that Risa still thinks of her former captain, despite the distanced look she's been wearing recently. Things have been hard, especially with how close she and Kyoraku had been. Hopefully one day things will have been smoothed over enough that she can see her captain once more, though in the meantime, he hopes it will be enough to discover that he shares her tastes in books as well, so she's not quite as alone.

~*~

Same routine as before--you see that button in the middle now, right about here? V V V Click it, you know you want to leave feedback and/or suggestions... you know you want to...


	4. Dealing Or Not

**Chapter Four: Dealing (Or Not)  
**

**Author:** Cayt

**Rating:** Pg-13, language and hints of violence?

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own. Just playing with Tite Kubo's wicked awesome toys, but they don't get to come home with me. Sad day…

**Notes:** Okay, this chapter is slightly longer than the others (I think?) because of the long wait. I guess I just let myself get too caught up in the 'summer' feeling and forgot how to develop a work-ethic... A little introspective, but also some interaction here :) Also, the next couple of chapters shouldn't take too long... It's vaguely irritating, however, because I was effectively Jossed, only... Kubo'd? Close enough. The next couple of pieces I had lined up were titled 'Those Left Behind'--then, all of a sudden, out come chapters 364-366, and hmm, well, undermined my Risa POV... sorta.

So yeah! No worries, it only takes a bit of fixing and hacking, but I should have at least one more chapter ready to go very soonish, hopefully by the end of the week--next week I'm on vacation, with no internetz--sadness. On to ze chapter!

~*~

The one way Hirako Shinji can tell that something is wrong is by the fact that he isn't hurt. He has no wounds—no bruises, no broken bones—which makes it all the more poignant that something isn't right. Well, something beyond the obvious, anyway… Sarugaki hasn't attacked him in days, not since they finally picked this damn place in the middle of nowhere. It's not like there's nothing else to pay attention to, though, so he almost doesn't even notice.

When he does notice, however, the thought is downright unnerving. Forget the fact that everyone else is snappish and/or brooding—because this is something that no one knows how to react to, so it's not like there is a guidebook for them to consult. At least back in Soul Society, they all knew how to act and behave themselves—theoretically, of course—but this is something completely different, and the fact that Hiyori has seemingly forgotten all about him

_What the hell do you care?_ An increasingly-familiar voice demands, and Shinji sighs, running his hand down his face. _The fact that you let a little girl beat on you is _pathetic_. You should have killed her a long time ago, _taichou…_ but you're just too fuckin' pathetic._

Focusing for a moment, Shinji pushes that warped voice away, back into the dark recesses of his mind where it belongs. It takes only a small gap, a slight second of inattention, for the Hollow to rear its ugly head, voicing opinions that are completely distasteful… and often hidden somewhere deep within his mind. Over his long life, he's had his share of inappropriate and shameful thoughts, most of which have proven to supply his Hollow with an ample supply of ammunition against him. The constant taunting voice in the back of his head is annoying, and yet they are still no closer to figuring out how to deal with this. He can't even _spar_ to relieve some of this tension anymore, not without the Hollow trying to seize control and kill everyone else around. It's downright exasperating, not being able to _do_ anything anymore…

Frustrated with the silence, with the stress, with just everything, Shinji strides over to his newly-coveted possession—the record player he has managed to convince Shihōin Yoruichi to pick up for him. He owes her more than a few favors, but it's more than worth it; the sound of music calms him, helps him to focus past his own problems and just… relax. Sōsuke had never cared for it, and that only makes it all the better now, knowing that jazz is becoming more popular in the world outside and that he still enjoys it, with a vicious sort of vengeance.

As a matter of fact, Rose seems to have taken quite a liking to it as well. He comes over and sits with Shinji occasionally, listening to the sounds and commenting on random facts. They do everything within their power to avoid discussing what is going on, and it is relaxing in its own way.

~*~

Everyone has a voice inside their head, however much they may try to deny it; you are not crazy for hearing a voice inside your head, after all. A conscience whispers guiding, guilt-inducing advice at the edges of your awareness; temptation trails sultry, loving fingers over your actions and wants, nudging you toward things you may not need…

These voices, however, are intangible and omnipresent. Even the most conscientious, caring person has them… but some people's inner voices are a little more… physical and prominent than others.

~*~

Sometimes, it's almost impossible to shut that voice in the back of his mind up. As hard as he tries, Shinji just can't dispel the sneering, distorted voice that sounds like a mockery of his own, and the voice only gets more insistent when he's tired.

For the past few days, Hirako has been locked within the confines of the make-shift study, working with Urahara to come up with a solution to their problem. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely remove the Hollow from within the former shinigami, and Shinji is reluctant to reveal exactly how prominent the taunting being is within him.

He is also reluctant to ask the others just how prominent their own Hollows are, though he knows eventually, he is going to have to.

~*~

Deceptively slender and girlish fingers trace the woodgrain, swirling around and around in a knot in the floorboard. The whorl mirrors the way her life feels these days, swirling around and around and around, growing tighter and tighter as she is drawn to the center. Nothing is the same any more, and her life feels as if it is no longer in her control.

"Oi, Hiyori," a voice calls, startling her out of her daze. She doesn't react, however, instead staring at the floor. She's in no mood to deal with Shinji—with any of them, really. She feels more alone these days than she has felt since Hikifune-taichou had left, even though she realizes that everyone else here has the same problem that she is having.

Hiyori pointedly shifts slightly, angling herself away from Hirako as he ambles closer. He tries to act like everything is fine, but she knows that's light-years away from the truth. Nothing they've tried so far has made the slick, evil voice in the back of her mind fade; she knows she's not exactly the light-and-rainbows-and-puppies type, but Sarugaki Hiyori is nowhere near this sadistic and evil.

"Ahhh, get up, midget," Hirako calls impatiently, trying to rile her into a response. She tenses slightly, but beyond that forces herself to remain calm. She's not going to give him what he wants… "Eh, is this one of those times when I need ta be serious?"

"Get. Lost," she snarls, finally losing patience. All she wants is to think, but apparently she can't even get that anymore without this bonehead bugging her all the time, following like he's _stalking _her or concerned or something, and that's just really creepy. "What do you want, idiot?"

"Well, yanno, you've been a lot quieter than usual," Shinji says, and then, of course, opens his big mouth even further to stick his mouth in. "Are you finally realizing that girls aren't supposed to attack people all the time?"

"Shut it, Baldy," she snaps, turning to glare at him. "'Sides, maybe I just didn't wanna see your ugly face—did you think of that?"

"Or you've just been listenin' to that damn voice in your head too much," Hirako says, voice low and dark—and uncannily insightful. Hiyori tenses again, even as Shinji's sharp eyes pin her in place.

"I don't know what it's saying to you, but I have a pretty good idea," he continues, tapping the side of his own head. It's almost eerie, seeing the man actually being… serious. She knows that Hirako Shinji has his serious side, but that he hides it deeply. For a captain, he's always been shockingly idiotic and immature, though it just makes it even more dangerous when he does get all serious and mature. It's been a couple of weeks since their flight from Soul Society now, and while they are all still adjusting, this is the first time Shinji's gotten deadly serious with her.

"If you know, then how do you shut it up?" Hiyori asks roughly, trying to pretend that there isn't frustration in her voice. Thankfully, she's not going to cry—she did enough of that earlier. The Hollow, of course, enjoyed it far too much, the hysterical joy and demented laughter making it even harder to keep her tears silent. Alarming the others wouldn't have done any good, aside from just make everything worse.

"I don't know," Shinji admits, shrugging. "I ain't givin' up, though. We're trying to figure this out—Kisuke's got a pretty good head on his shoulders, yanno, so we'll figure something out."

Hiyori knows her captain; as much as she had disliked him, he was nothing if not loyal to his subordinates. Urahara had taken a particular shine to her though, always looking out for her, as much as she had hated it. Now, however, the thought that her crazy bastard of a captain is here is slightly reassuring; he's just crazy enough that he'll come up with something, hopefully.

"Yeah, whatever," she replies, waving her hand dismissively. "Now c'mere. I wanna try something."

"Like what?" Shinji asks warily. The fool wanders closer without waiting for an answer, and sits down before Hiyori even has to ask him. The sudden smirk on her face has him gaping in horror, however, even as she lunges. She has a half-second to realize that her fingers aren't quite so girlish when they're busy strangling Shinji, but that's okay, because she's trying to fix that problem in a roundabout way.

"Oi, what are ya doing? Get off, you crazy—"

"Shaddup, Shinji, I need ta know what shade of nail paint looks better!"

"How'm _I_ s'pposed to help?" Shinji howls, alerting the others. "Ask Shihōin or Mashiro, not me! _Stop twisting my arm like that, it doesn't _go_ that direction!"_

"Then stop _movin'!_" Hiyori retorts, sensing Love coming running—just like always, he is the babysitter. She needs to be quicker, then—"Ah hah!"

"Nooooooo!"

Bein' serious never really did suit Shinji, anyway, especially not when she can make him wail like a girl.

~*~

As always, drop a line, and lemme know what you think!


	5. Those Left Behind I

**Chapter Five:** **Those Left Behind I**

**Notes: **Part one of another series within a series, otherwise this would probably have been really long. Does that make any sense? :P Put off posting this one for a while because I was Kubo'd with chapter 365, so I wanted to make sure that there was nothing else that could potentially make this all... wrong and irrelevant. So! Here we are :)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing… not even a current permanent address to call my own. Fanfiction is one of the few joys I have left, and yet it's still not really mine… The shinies are Kubo's.

~*~

It's hard not to wonder about those that they left behind in Soul Society; how much have things changed since they left? Presumably, new captains and vice-captains have been named, and cover-ups are being formed to explain their sudden absence… its not like their presences could possibly be _missed_, after all. Five captains and three vice-captains, not to mention both the captain and vice-captain of the Kidō Corps can't just _disappear_ without no one noticing.

~*~

When Shinji thinks about the traitorous son of a bitch that his fukutaichou turned out to be, it's still extremely hard not to get angry. Sure, he suspected the sneaky bastard, but apparently he hadn't been careful enough. It's irritating, knowing that Aizen had not only known that he was under suspicion but gotten the drop on him…

He'd suspected his cool, collected and slick fukutaichou from the beginning, and Hirako had tried bringing up his uneasy feeling with Ukitake once. He'd wound up shrugging it off, however, not having any damned _evidence_ to give to Jūshirō to prevent himself from looking silly… and grimly, he thinks that now, he has all the evidence in the world, and no one to show it to. Not without someone trying to execute him, anyway.

There had just always seemed to be something dodgy about the boy, something even downright creepy in the way he always seemed to know where to be—or where _not_ to be—and how he always just appeared in the corners of your periphery… something felt off about Aizen, no matter how calm and nice he seemed. Shinji meant to keep him under surveillance, within arm's (blade's) reach when his true intentions surfaced…

Only to fail. He not only failed his instincts, but cost others their lives, their souls… They don't blame him, though, and even Shinji isn't so stupid as to hold himself wholly accountable; he's far from perfect, as Hiyori never fails to remind him. The fact that he never suspected _this_ of Aizen, however, still pisses him off.

Allowing himself to get angry only makes the Hollow stir more anxiously in his mind, so he breathes deeply, pushing away the anger. For all that they have managed to subdue their Hollows and gain control again, intense emotion is still treading a line, one that he feels uncomfortable treading most of the time.

For all that meditating has never been his style, Shinji sure seems to be doing a lot of it these days.

Deep down, he knows that Aizen has more than likely been named captain in his stead. That thought hurts his pride more than a little, and the least he can do is hope that his betrayer is not conducting any more 'experiments' and sentencing other shinigami to this same fate. Then again, if he is, there may not be any way for them to know; any other victims would not know to escape, nor have the Flash Goddess to help whisk them away… and there would be no way for them to know, either, having been completely cut off from Soul Society.

There aren't really a lot of people that he misses, strangely enough; the strange combination of company that he keeps these days are slowly drawing closer to one another, becoming friends when before they rarely talked to one another.

He finds himself thinking of Shunsui and Ukitake, and even Retsu occasionally, though not often. The three had been captains with him for a long time, long enough to qualify them as friends, though they were never as close as Shunsui and Jūshirō obviously were. Even without all that, however, Shinji misses the afternoons taking tea with the other two men, Shunsui's laughter and Jūshirō's gentle smiles as they reminisced and shared jokes.

Shinji misses those afternoons, though admittedly his afternoons are no less entertaining these days. Learning to maintain his mask for prolonged periods of time is just another technique to master, no matter how unsavory it is with him. Sparring with the others keeps them all in shape, though on the afternoons where he needs a break, he is most often joined by Rose. The blond man isn't the same as Shunsui and Jūshirō, of course, but he is nice enough to talk to, relaxingly calm when compared to the others.

Things aren't the same, and while he misses a few old friends back in Soul Society, overall, he can't bring himself to complain. It takes some getting used to, of course, but then again, he supposes nothing ever really stays the same forever. One thing he can say for certain, however, it that it _won't_ be the same when he sees that bastard again; he _will_ kill Aizen, no matter how long it takes, or how much training and mediation.

~*~

It's hard not to wonder about those that Risa was forced to leave behind. She and her captain had been close, though she wonders how he is doing without her… and if he's read any good books recently. Thankfully, he's always had really good taste, so there were always plenty of books for her to borrow from Kyoraku-taichou.

Surprisingly enough, however, she does miss him. Kyoraku may be the laziest man in all of Soul Society, and she wonders how he's managing to take care of his paperwork now; perhaps he's manipulated some other poor soul to take care of it for him… that would be just like him.

Despite his laziness and womanizing ways, however, Kyoraku-taichou has always been a good man. His laid-back captaincy was a relief, especially compared to how Shinji must have been, or even Urahara… while both blonds have the ability to be deadly serious, for the most part they act almost childish—even more so when Sarugaki is around to provoke them. Imagining Kyoraku ever being that childish and rambunctious is enough to give her a headache, and she wonders exactly how the Fifth Division functioned on those days (which, from how Shinji acts around here, seem to occur more often than not).

By extension, Risa wonders about Ukitake-taichou; as Kyoraku's closest friend, it is hard to wonder about the welfare of one without wondering about the welfare of the other as well. Ukitake was one of her favorite captains as well, if only because he is easy to talk to. Some of the other captains are (deliberately?) distant, keeping themselves apart from the others—like the Tenth Division captain; he hardly ever comes out aside from meetings, and even then hangs back by himself. Either that, or some of the captains—like Shinji—are completely insane. Ukitake, however, is cheerful and easy to talk to, a rational contrast to her own captain when he's in one of his moods.

On the other hand, Risa also misses one of the Eighth Division's newest members, a tiny girl by the name of Ise Nanao. The girl is quite frankly amazing; while she is older than her physical appearance, she is still quite young by shinigami standards, and yet has already managed to gain her zanpakutō and graduate the Academy her first time through—no small task. She is not quite the prodigy that Ichimaru Gin is, or Shiba Kaien, two names that are still bandied about in amazement, but she is still remarkable.

Despite her prowess, however, Nanao-chan is still young, and Risa had taken her under her wing, so to speak. Once a month, Nanao-chan comes to her for a chance to read together, something that Risa enjoyed immensely. Unfortunately, their last night to read together had been on the night that everything had gone to hell—and Risa had never gotten the chance to see the girl. She hopes that Nanao-chan is doing well, that someone else is spending time with her and helping her… being the youngest shinigami in a division by such a wide gap can be troublesome. She also wonders if Ukitake still brings candy for Nanao-chan; he seems to enjoy bringing candy for the younger shinigami that he takes a liking to.

Being here isn't completely bad, however; it's amusing, to say the least. Things are more sedate and relaxed than in Soul Society, and she has more time to read her books, which is a definite plus.

On the other hand, however, the subjugation of her Hollow has been a difficult task. While there's no longer that immediate threat of losing control, learning to master and maintain her Hollow mask is a daunting challenge—even harder than what she had thought learning bankai would be. The voice has finally begun to subside, however, leaving her alone in her own mind once more.

Watching her comrades work to learn to control this new development is unnerving. Former captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13, learning to become Hollows voluntarily and use this strange new power…

It's hard to come to grips with the fact that they are no longer shinigami. Risa is not sure what that makes her now—for decades, she has been a shinigami, but now, she has no freaking idea. It's more unnerving than she knows how to express.

Are they Hollows now? Soul Society had given the order to _dispose_ of them, to execute them like Hollows, but… she's still Yadōmaru Risa, still herself, she thinks. There's just this extra power to learn and control, this extra voice within herself to ignore and argue with; does that really make her a monster, someone to just get rid of?

What she does know is that she is now stronger and faster than she was before, even without drawing on this new power. Her senses are sharper, her reflexes better, her accuracy higher… all this, without even drawing on the Hollow in her soul.

The trade-off is steep. This new range of strength has been paid for heavily; the others that Aizen tried this technique on were killed, their souls sucked dry of power. They are the first to survive, the first to have to figure this out.

She hopes they are the last.

This cursed power isn't worth what she has lost. Instead of being home, being the only person she has ever known to be, she is here with a mixed group of captains and lieutenants, all betrayed and confused, all on the run from Soul Society and caught in the midst of this betrayal. It's not all bad, but… she wants to know who she is.

~*~

Hachigen Ushōda tries not to think—about the changes within him, around him, or to him. He has always been a private person, relatively shy in comparison to the others around him. As such, when the others feel particularly rambunctious or mischievous, he tends to retreat and see out Tsukabishi Tessai; his former captain is a comfort, especially since he doesn't pry into Hachi's thoughts.

Despite his friendship with his (former) captain, though, there are just some things they don't talk about. They don't speak of their friends in Soul Society, nor of the failure that they both feel so keenly—Hachi for not being strong enough to protect his comrades, and Tessai for not being suspicious enough, for not arriving more quickly. Even with all the silences between them, they both know that neither blames the other at all, which is reassuring. The words do not have to be spoken, because their friendship has never been one of verbosity.

His mind hasn't stopped racing since they came here and settled in this house. Thankfully, there is enough room for everyone to have their own rooms, as well as room to have a training room. In his room, though, Hachi has been busy thinking, thinking, and thinking.

First, the consuming thing was figuring out what they had become, and what they were going to do. It had taken a while before he, along with Urahara-san and Tessai-san, had figured out how to deal with these new changes, but they had finally made progress—finally subdued the evilness that had been forced within their very souls.

Things aren't necessarily all bad, however. Hachi was never particularly close to anyone back in Soul Society, but now… now, he can sense a distinct pulling together, though he knows that some of the others would protest that statement until their gigai turned blue in the face. While a few of their number might have already been close back in Seireitei—Tessai, Yoruichi, and Urahara, for example, as well as Shinji and Hiyori (loathe as they may be to actually admit it)—there are new bonds being formed as he watches, tentative and yet strong.

Slowly but surely, he can see Yadōmaru forming a friendship with Rose and Love, fueled by their shared passion for books. The one glance he took at one book, however, had been enough to dissuade Hachi from joining them in _that_ particular pursuit, but nonetheless, he does enjoy sitting and discussing new literature with Rose.

One of the most surprising friendships, however, is developing between Hiyori and Kensei, though then again, the thought of them as sparring partners isn't that hard to imagine. Hiyori finally has a better outlet for her… rambunctiousness, and Kensei doesn't have to deal with Mashiro's temper tantrums if she can't touch him.

They have welcomed Hachi, however, conversing with him and even sharing a quiet cup of tea as he struggles to master these new powers alongside them. He is making friends, and this group… it feels as if they are actually becoming a _family,_ because by now, it's hard not to realize that things are never going back to normal, and that they can never really be free of one another. Their paths have all become intertwined, but then again, that's not always a bad thing.

~*~

Wow, Hachi's voice was really, really hard for me to get into. I hope that it came out alright and in-character. It's just he's so… quiet, I guess. He's hard for me to get into his head, so… let me know if I got him right? Or, you know, totally off-base, so I can remove this and fix it! Let me know what you think, please :)


	6. Shopping II

**Chapter Six: Shopping II**

**Notes/Warnings: **The inherent insanity that comes with Hiyori and Shinji (of course). Nothing spoiler-y, as usual, save the normal "After the TBTP Arc" as usual. Also, Kensei tends to swear quite a bit, hence the PG-13 rating. This one is a tad longer than usual, so hopefully that makes up for my absence :)

**Disclaimer:** As the ancient gods once said, "Own not, and thou shalt claim not. Go forth and own your own junk."

~*~

To be perfectly honest, Kensei has no clue how the hell he got here. He had been looking forward to a nice, relaxing day at the base, and yet here he stands, surrounded by brightly colored clothes and a happily squealing Mashiro, and there is no escape in sight.

It's exactly like a nightmare he's had before.

There is no way for him to slip off like that bastard Rose did; no, Shihōin is always there to prevent any escape attempts. It's like she has some sort of freaky seventh sense or whatever to help her see whenever someone is trying to pull something off, otherwise how would she know to appear _every single time?_

Mashiro twirls by happily, dumping another several items onto the growing pile in his arms. He snarls, and wonders again how he got stuck with being the pack mule. He's already grabbed a couple of shirts and pants for himself, but Kuna keeps piling more and more on him, most of it brightly colored enough to make him twitch. Why the hell does she think she needs this many clothes? It's not like they go out all that much, anyway.

Irritated, Kensei finally storms over to Shihōin, thrusting the pile of clothes at her. Predictably, she flits away before he can put them all the way into her arms, and he can _feel_ that vein twitching in his temple.

"I'm leaving," he snaps to her, only to find her in front of him—_again_. He tries to push past her, but she blocks him every single time, and he curses.

"You're staying here," Yoruichi said coolly, and he rolls his eyes at her. "Rose and Risa have already wandered off… we're not chasing after all of you, you know."

He can only stand there and fume, however, as the Shihōin princess flits away again, leaving him to pick up the mess he's made on the floor.

~*~

It's only a few minutes later that screaming breaks out from across the store, drawing their attention almost immediately. Kensei catches himself reaching for a zanpakutō that is not at his side at the moment, stopping himself in irritation once he realizes how pointless the movement is. He can already hear the yelling, however, and sighs before striding to the source of the disruption.

As annoying as Mashiro is, Kensei can only be eternally grateful that he didn't have either Hirako or Sarugaki in his Division back in Soul Society; both of them are childish enough to make people stare at the odd blond man, who is taunting a small girl childishly; currently, Shinji has his tongue stuck out with eyes crossed, and is too busy dodging Hiyori's retaliatory blows to notice the alarmed squeals of those around them. She's swinging a heavy boot she found somewhere, and he can't help but think that it's a relief to see her attacking him like this; it's been a while.

A woman shrieks loudly as Hiyori's swing goes wild, knocking over a display of fabric bolts. Behind him, Yoruichi finally appears, shoving past him as she watches the chaos unfolding before them.

Kensei only sneers at the fleeing humans; as if Hiyori or Shinji would hurt innocent civilians. The very thought is laughable, considering that for so very long, their sworn duty has been to _protect_ humans…

That stray thought, however, is enough to give him serious pause. Are they still sworn to those vows? They are no longer shinigami, and yet not Hollows—so where does this leave them?

The thought is chilling; he knows that Shinji and Hiyori both are the most bitter about what has happened, Shinji perhaps moreso than everyone else. Would that be enough to undermine his convictions, to turn him against everything they've ever believed in?

Perhaps most tellingly, however, he realizes, is that he himself has no idea about his beliefs anymore.

~*~

"Ooooh, I like this one!" Mashiro announces proudly, twirling happily in her new outfit. She dances in front of the others, pouting when she doesn't get a reaction from Kensei. Instead, she seems placated with a smile and nod from Love, and a shy compliment from Hachi. Everyone else seems satisfied with the clothes that the victims… hapless shoppers had acquired for them, which is a damn good thing, because Kensei has no desire to go back out again.

"What do you think about _my_ shirt?" Hiyori asks loudly, and Love grunts an affirmation, nodding to her as well. Shinji makes the mistake of yawning at that particular moment, and even though he is clearly deep in conversation with Urahara, Hiyori pounces. "What's that, Baldy? You got somethin' to say?"

"Not to you," he replies casually, without even thinking about it. This is his second mistake, and Mashiro gracefully dances out of the way of Hiyori's wild lunge. She watches with wide eyes as Hiyori tackles Shinji, beginning an impromptu wrestling match on the ground—then turns to Kensei.

"Heyyyyyy, how come you never play with me like that?" She complains, lower lip jutting out in a pout. Kensei's eyes widen incredulously, even as Mashiro flops to the ground, sulking. "I wanna play games, too! Kenseeeeeeei, you're no fun!"

"They aren't having fun, you idiot!" He snaps back, and from beside him, Rose shrugs contemplatively. The blond doesn't even look like he's paying attention, his nose raptly buried in a book, but he does glance up.

"They kind of look like they're trying to kill each other, not playing," he comments, and Love nods, looking vaguely exasperated.

"That's not anything new," he comments. He ignores Mashiro's luminous eyes and quivering lips, instead pushing himself up from the ground. "Something tells me it's time to leave."

"Before we become part of the collateral damage, you mean?" Rose asks mock-loftily, sighing. "Good idea."

The blond man rises, and Love pauses for a moment before following. As he does, there is a loud yelp from behind them, followed closely by a triumphant yell. Kensei turns back just in time to see Mashiro launching herself toward him in a tackle.

Somehow, he has the feeling that Hirako is the one to blame.

He moves aside at the last second, and despite himself is impressed with the development of the gigai he dons. They all wear their gigai 'round the clock in order to avoid detection; even now, it is hard to prevent the random flares of reiatsu brought about by this strange power within them. Despite all this, however, Urahara knows his stuff—these gigais move well enough to almost seem as if they are not wearing, even while masking their reiatsu from any accidental observers.

On the other hand, it's highly unprecedented that they should be able to manifest their zanpakutō while inside their gigai, and yet… it's happened. It absurdly enough make Kensei feel safer somehow, even though this is supposed to be impossible. Learning to live like a human is annoying enough, without being able to properly defend himself. The ability to manifest his zanpakutō if need be makes it more tolerable.

Using Mashiro's fit as the perfect time to escape, Kensei makes his way out of the room. Upstairs, he runs into Ushōda and gives him a curt nod. Before this whole thing, he'd never really seen the other man, much less talked to him; he supposes that people like Ukitake-taichou and other older captains would tell him that it's good to form new bonds, no matter what the situation.

"Hello, Muguruma-san," Ushōda greets cordially. "How was shopping this afternoon?"

"A pain in the ass," Kensei replies frankly, scowling at the mere memory. "Wish I'd'a stayed here. What did you guys do?"

A shadow passes over Ushōda's face, his faint smile fading.

"Urahara-san, Tsukabishi-san, and I continued our work on solutions," he replies, round face slightly apologetic. "We're no closer to reversing this, but… it seems that there might be a way to subjugate our Hollows."

Kensei's eyes widen, even as he asks, "Subjugate… You mean, like what we do in order to achieve bankai?"

"Exactly, Muguruma-san!" A cheerful voice exclaims, and he whirls. Urahara is grinning widely and leaning into Kensei's space, causing the older man to scowl. "If these powers aren't going away, it's better to have them under your own control, is it not?"

"And what if I don't want these damn powers?" Kensei asks dangerously. His fear at this development flows easily into anger—just as it always has, because showing fear is just something Muguruma Kensei doesn't do—but unfortunately, the familiar emotion is tainted by that unfamiliar dark edge… one that is becoming familiar slowly but surely. He despises this dark, empty feeling at the edge of his thoughts, this faint echo of hungry hopelessness… he wants it _gone._

"You may not have that option, Muguruma-san," Ushōda replies, still apologetic despite the sharp awareness in his eyes. The gentle giant does not like this anymore than he does…

"It's worth a try—" Urahara begins, and Kensei pins him with a sharp look.

"And then what?" He demands, frustrated. "Where does this leave us, then? As Hollows?"

"Actually, we hope that it will put the Hollow under your control," Urahara replies evenly, his gleeful demeanor gone for the moment.

"You _hope_," Kensei spits derisively. "That ain't good enough for me here, Urahara. If that fails, what then? Where does that leave us?"

Urahara's dark eyes meet his evenly, the sadness there suddenly making the man look far older than he should, but Kensei quashes the urge to back off before it can fully blossom. He has to know exactly what lies at stake here; one mistake now, and their escape from execution will have meant absolutely nothing, and that son of a bitch Aizen will have gotten away with this.

"If it fails, I won't allow anyone else to get hurt," Kisuke vows, voice low. "It will be my responsibility."

Kensei relaxes at the words, however slightly it may actually reassure him. This strange new power residing within all of them has the ability to hurt so many people, to destroy so much… there's no way that Kensei would take that chance, but with Urahara knowing exactly what he would have to do, it makes it a little easier to think about this.

Besides, even if Urahara were to fuck up, Shihōin is no push over; she would _ensure_ that nothing happened. She had long since earned his respect, and was a force to be reckoned with—a reassurance in this circumstance.

"We'll have to discuss it," Kensei subsides, and Urahara nods. For now, however, he doesn't really want to think about it, doesn't want to discuss it further.

This, of course, has nothing to do with the fact that a group meeting would have to take place in the basement, where Mashiro's reiatsu is still active and looking for a fight.

~*~

It's a late night, full of discussion and arguing. Not everyone is comfortable with Urahara's latest theory, but hell if anyone else can come up with a more viable solution, much to Kensei's frustration. It bears some serious consideration, however, and it noticeably eases the tension in the house when they decide to think it over for a while before making any major decisions.

It's been a long day, and Kensei is actually on his way up to his room when he's accosted by a familiar presence—which, of course, is announced by a crashing weight against his back, and he growls as Mashiro jumps on his back like some deranged child.

"Get off," he orders, but, as usual, she completely ignores him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning forward to peer at him from the side. Despite his scowl, she is pouting curiously, tilting her head childishly.

"Are you going to bed already?" She asks, and he nods brusquely. "But it's so early! Besides, you never even saw—"

"I'm tired," he cuts her off impatiently, trying (and failing) to dislodge her. She jumps off of her own accord, however, strolling alongside him with her hands linked behind her back as he continues toward his room. When she doesn't stop following him, he stops outside his door, looking at her pointedly. "What is it?"

It doesn't really surprise him when her childish demeanor abruptly fades, instead leaving serious brown eyes to meet his, probing.

Despite what everyone thinks, it is possible for Kuna Mashiro to be serious—it's just extremely rare. When she _is_ serious, it's usually far more intimidating than her tantrums and petty fits, and means that she's deeply, deeply troubled and shaken. He's only seen this side of her a few times, despite having been partnered with her for nearly three decades now.

"You don't like it, do you, Kensei?" Kuna asks, looking faintly troubled. For all that she's been the best at keeping her inner Hollow suppressed so far—Kensei is still surprised at this—he had almost expected this confrontation. There's no need for her to elaborate on 'it,' however, not with the palpable tension in the air throughout the whole house. The idea of purposely bringing out their Hollows, one by one, and trying to force them under control, is unnerving for everyone. No one wants to face their inner demons on a good day, but to bring them out for everyone else to see…

"No," he finally tells her frankly, frowning to himself. "We have to do something, though. Damn thing doesn't shut up, and I'd love to get my hands on it."

Indeed, the idea of possibly being able to physically silence the mocking voice _has_ become tempting, even if the process is daunting and uncertain. On the other hand, screw the daunting process, it's becoming worth the risk, especially since the Hollow is sneering once more.

_Look, even your irritating retarded lieutenant is scared!_ The thing exclaims, lurking at the edges of his mind as it pushes, trying to gain a foothold. _She'll have to be put down first, you know, because she'll be the first to give in, to fold and kill one of your so-called friends. _

_The hell she will!_ Kensei snaps back, then grits his teeth as he presses it back into the darkest corners of his mind. Focusing on Mashiro, he only shrugs, waiting for whatever it is that she came to say.

"I don't like it either," she tells him, glancing to the side before suddenly grinning and bouncing up on the balls of her feet. "Besides, you're already mean enough! You never even asked to see what I bought!"

"I saw you modeling it downstairs already," he growls, rolling his eyes. She has never seemed to understand that he doesn't care for fashion shows whenever she brings something new home… not even when they were back home, in the Ninth.

"That doesn't count," she whines, and he turns to open his door, fully intending to shut her out. He's drawn up short by a sudden feeling of something around his neck and shoulders, and instinctively whirls, scowling. Mashiro's wrapped her neon pink scarf around his shoulders, but she's already disappeared before he can shove it back in her face.

Yanking the soft monstrosity from around his neck before someone can see him, Kensei grumbles faintly about irresponsible, irritating lieutenants as he shuts the door. All he wants is a night of sleep, but even that's looking doubtful now since his Hollow is slinking around at the edges, looking for the slightest gap…

This time, he can't even blame the aggravation on Mashiro.

~*~

I'm still not sure I like that closing line… but I've been poking at this one for like a month now. Sorry the ending is so abrupt, you guys; I wanted to end it better, but I felt really bad for waiting so long to post this. As always, though, feedback is like chicken soup for the soul; also, I've heard that it wards off the swine flu XD

On the other hand, going in on Thursday for my second round of interviews, so wish me luck! I think I'm going to get the job, but I'm still really nervous :S


	7. Simple Pleasures

**Chapter Seven: **Simple Pleasures

**Author**: Me! Mario! No, not really... it is Cayt, though :)

**Notes/Warnings: **Still not mine… this chapter was written as part of my NaNoWriMo this year, so it's a little longer than my normal chapters are, I think. This chapter is written mostly from Rose's perspective, which was a nice change :) I hope that I did him justice!

**Rating:** PG-13, language and implied violence.

~*~

Some of life's rare pleasures can sometimes be found through the simplest of means; throughout their years in the human realm, each of the renegade shinigami has had the chance to discover this for themselves. Admittedly, however, Rose isn't quite sure everyone else has managed to find those pleasures for themselves just yet. Several of the others seemed eternally caught up with their preoccupations, never taking the time to simply sit and enjoy the world around them. It's been a while since Rose has had the chance to simply sit out in the fresh air with his guitar and just muse, letting the sounds of the birds and nature twine and meld with his own absent strumming over well-worn wood… and even today, he isn't out to enjoy the lovely weather.

With a sigh, Rose leans back against the tree trunk, gazing reflectively up toward the sky. He enjoys their most recent hideout, especially since the air is beginning to warm with the end of spring, sunlight dappling through the leaves in dancing flickers of light and shadow. The ever-constant shifting reminds him much of the constant battle within himself, the tides of dark and light warring over and within his soul, constantly—

"You daydreamin' again?" Love demands, interrupting his train of thought. Rose frowns in response, indignant. Aikawa is certainly down to earth, but that's no reason to constantly interrupt him, is it? Then again, Love has never been one to admire the aesthetics of dramatic presentations or artistic appeal, much less the beauty of nature, so then again, this isn't entirely unexpected.

"I'm just taking the time to appreciate our surroundings," Rose returns, raising his chin slightly. "This is one of the better places we've picked to stay; the least you could do—"

"Yeah, admire the scenery," Love interrupts, and Rose suspects he is rolling his eyes behind those dark sunglasses. "We're supposed to be checking out the property, not taking a nap under the trees already."

"I wasn't napping," Rose replies waspishly, pushing his lanky frame off from the tree and falling into step with Love once more. One of the first things they must do with every move is survey the terrain, just in case, so that they can be prepared for anything that might happen.

Rose isn't sure about the others, but he is personally beginning to hate 'just in case,' and the paranoia that comes with it. As a former captain, he certainly understands the need to be prepared for every contingency, especially considering their somewhat unique situation; however, since it's been nearly ten years since they were forced to flee from Soul Society, he doubts anyone could possibly be pursuing them. More than likely, even Aizen hasn't spared them a passing thought since then.

It's easy to relax again, however, surveying the land and making note of this and that. It isn't long, though, before the breeze begins to shift, swirling in a way that makes Rose take notice. Love seems to miss it, leaving Rose to study the area more intently, unsure. It doesn't feel like a Hollow, nor like a shinigami, or even a human; so, what is it?

The breeze grows more intense, causing the shadows and light to shift rapidly across the ground. Something just feels off about the breeze, however, a sense of wrongness rankling at the back of his neck. Before he can mention it to Love, however, that niggling sense blossoms into a full-blown warning, brought about by the sounds of a frantic, terrified cry.

Without waiting to see if Love is coming—which he undoubtedly is—Rose races through the forest at the back of their property, making his way through the trees and lower foliage. It takes only a moment to register that the try came from a young child, but it takes longer to locate the child. The sounds of clumsy footsteps and crashing echo through the trees, distorting and warping the sounds until it becomes harder to decipher direction, something that he will remember to mention to Hirako later on.

A flicker of motion through the trees, and Rose responds, turning and watching as a child stumbles and falls to the ground, face dirty and streaked with tears. Behind the sobbing kid, there is an odd discrepancy in the flow of light and shadow, almost as if being bent around a figure the size of a tall, broad-shouldered beast. As Rose frowns, the huge form moves—and rips three trees from the ground right at once. As it throws the trees to the side, its ability to hide itself seems to melt away, revealing a Hollow the size of a well-built adult, though the head is tiny, the mask swirled with broad streaks of color in senseless whorls.

Reacting, the blond man materializes his zanpakutō. It had been odd at first, being able to manifest a zanpakutō while within a gigai, something that Urahara-san had admitted years ago that should have been impossible. He had created the gigai for a shinigami to blend in with humans, repressing their powers and allowing them to be visible to the living… but once again, their unique situation does seem to have a bright side, if only a very small one.

Crashing behind him alerts him of Love's arrival, and Rose tensely asks, "Love, will you get the child out of here?"

"Yeah," Love grunts, though he does spare a curious glance at Rose. Normally, Love is the one that enjoys taking care of the combat aspect, while Rose admittedly puts on the show for the soul they happen to be saving. There's something off about this Hollow, though, the form distorted and not quite visible yet; Love hasn't pulled his own zanpakutō out yet, which will probably make it easier for him to convince the kid that nothing untoward is occurring back here.

From the figure ahead, however, he can hear a sound like sniffing, and his mind races. How can he get this thing to reveal itself? If he looks closely, he can see the bend of light around the creature, but this still doesn't feel like a Hollow; he's fought Hollows that can hide themselves before, but something is _off_ and _wrong_ about this thing.

It lunges suddenly, clumsy and slow, and Rose easily avoids a slash of clumsy claws, the dance of light shifting for a bare second and allowing him a clearer view of what is clearly a Hollow. If it's just a Hollow, though, why does the reiatsu signature feel so… awkward? Almost as if it's uncertain, wavering between humanity, shinigami, and Hollow—

With disgust, Otoribashi avoids another clumsy lunge, and the Hollow utters a low, whining growl. He makes no move to dispatch the thing, however, as easy as it would be. There's more to this… something about the way that the creature seems to calm for a moment after the lunge, settling, only to growl and lunge once it catches his scent once more. What on earth is going on here?

"You still playin' around?" Love demands from the side, drawing Rose's attention. He neatly avoids the Hollow once more, frowning, even as he meets Love's gaze.

"I'm thinking," Rose returns evenly, though his voice is a little sharper than normal. "Watch."

Indeed, the Hollow is sniffing once more, but in a different manner, almost like a sniffling child, moaning lowly. The sound is different from the earlier howl, instead sounding almost… confused, _lost_ in a way. It's not right, and Love knows it now, too.

The thing catches their scent once more, lunging for Love, who now avoids it as well. As soon as he is out of sight, the creature begins to move off again, and Rose hesitates. It seems to be searching for two different things, two conflicting things… it's not sure where to go, after the shinigami, or presumably the child that Love has removed from the area.

"Have the two of you forgotten how to dispatch a Hollow?" an irritated voice snaps, and Rose doesn't even look away from the odd Hollow. Risa is standing off to the side, hand on her hip as she glares at them. The Hollow seems to ignore her, however, still moaning plaintively as it tries to move off toward the direction it had last seen its intended prey.

"… 'znn," it mutters, and Rose feels a chill travel down his spine. Hollows normally can speak fluently once they have fully degenerated from a Plus soul, settling into their new forms and forgetting who they once were. This muffled semblance of speech, however, indicates an immature Hollow, a soul who has only recently lost their remaining humanity in the throes of the corruption and degeneration of their souls.

"Where did you go?" The thing asks plaintively, startling Rose from his thoughts. Across from him, Risa's expression has tightened, unhappy; she, too, realizes what's going on.

For all that the creature before them is a Hollow, certain to do nothing but seek to devour other souls and harm the living, none of them can ignore this. Once upon a time, they would have been able to take care of this without a second thought, but the truth is that now, they can understand and empathize with the sad being in front of them, more than they ever thought possible. They have all come close to losing themselves to their own inner Hollows—a few of them coming closer than others.

"We have to," Love says suddenly, his zanpakutō present in his hand. His stance is uneasy and wary, however—reluctant.

"I suck at this game," the creature utters, then growls lowly and tenses upon catching their scent once more. "Get 'em, 'snn said find 'em."

"What?" Risa asks, voice and expression both carefully neutral and utterly unreadable. The Hollow starts to turn on her, then stops, shuddering and attempting to turn the other way.

"What's that game the children play? Hide and seek?" Love asks, and the others nod, frowning as the Hollow seems to perk up slightly before sagging, moaning once more. "This… this was a kid."

Unfortunately, there's not much to contradict that realization. It casts the clearing into a somber silence, only broken as the Hollow howls once more, seeming to realize once again that it should keep moving. The movement is sudden, and Risa dodges—but she wasn't the Hollow's target to begin with. Instead, the Hollow rends a tree from the ground, hurling it at Love, catching him off-balance. He is knocked backward with the tree, even as Rose's resigned expression makes itself known.

As much as he detests this, they have to help the Hollow pass. It is unstable enough right now, without the eventual loss of its last ties to humanity, and the danger it will pose then… the child is already dead. All that is left is this corrupted soul, one that deserves to move on. Rose has never liked dispatching a Hollow that resulted from a child's soul, but it was part of the job, as much as it had always bothered him.

Dodging the next tree, he notes that Love is okay—not that he'd thought that the other man wouldn't be—and watches as Risa evades, keeping her distance so that the three of them are relatively evenly spaced around the Hollow. Her zanpakutō is also in her hand, expression grim and focused. Distantly, Rose wonders how long it will be before Hirako or Muguruma senses their raised reiatsu and gets curious, and the thought of others coming out to check on them is distasteful in more ways than one.

Before he can allow himself to think, Rose decisively sweeps through the Hollow's mask, severing it cleanly. He watches, sad, as the mask slips away, the Hollow's body shimmering away to briefly reveal a small child. The boy appears to be small for his age, an odd contrast to the size of his body only seconds before. The child looks up fearfully, eyes wide in the moment before he disappears.

"This game wasn't as fun as he said it would be," he tells Rose pitifully, eyes tearing up. "It was cold! He said if I found you, I'd get a prize, but… that boy ran away. Am I scary?"

"Not anymore," Risa tells him, eyes compassionate as she joins them from the side, Love still a few paces behind.

"Who said?" Love asks sharply, and Rose closes his eyes. He feels as if he already knows the answer…

"…'zn," the boy whispers tearfully, crying now. "I just wanted to play hide and seek, but my friend left me 'lone! Aizen said if I found people that smelled like he wan'ed, he'd find my friend!"

The clearing feels as if the temperature has dropped below freezing now, despite the warm breeze that has returned to normal and the bright sunlight through the leaves. Aizen… the man responsible for everything wrong with their lives—yes, Rose will even blame him for the little things like broken buttons and losing his place in books—is looking for them.

So much for enjoying the simple things this afternoon; any chance of that is far, far gone.

~*~

**A.N.** Sorry for the long wait, guys... I've been working hard, and just couldn't get my muse to give me anything to write about, so I had the hardest time trying to edit the stuff I managed to write for NaNoWriMo. So, here's this chapter... the follow-up to it should be edited and finished up within the week, and then another chapter is almost ready--promise! So, I hope you can forgive me for the long wait, and leave me feedback; it makes my muse happy :D Lemme know what you think, and enjoy!


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